Around The Horn

Max Goss has launched a new conservative philosophy blog called Right Reason, which will be worth making regular visits to.

Max and his wife Liz have also launched another important project, their new baby daughter. Congrats!

Discoshaman's term is up in Kiev, and he'll be taking a blogging break while he and the Dutchess prepare to return to the states for a spell.

Geoff examines the motives of a New York Times reviewer who can't help seeing her political agenda go up in smoke when we see the reality of a baby being born.

And finally, a review by my old friend Bud of a recent production of "Grease" he attended at Bass Hall in Ft. Worth, Texas a few weeks ago. It's appropos of nothing, but I love it:

It's a nice place, the tickets were sort of pricey, Frankie Avalon was in it. I figured this would be great. Well, it [stunk]. And when Frankie Avalon comes out for his "Beauty School Drop Out" song, he looks and sings like Lee Corso. It's embarrassing. He's 70 and still playing the same part he did thirty years ago, and pining for the surf movies he did 50 years ago.

So finally the show is over, all the characters come out on stage one at a time or in pairs for the appropriate applause. Then Danny and Olivia-Newton John's character. Polite applause, this is almost over. Then Frankie comes on stage, he's changed out of his all-white angel garb into black slacks. He really looks like Lee Corso. Everyone stands, I mean, he's old, so I stand too. Then he motions for everyone to sit. The cast of "Grease" is still on the stage standing behind him--then it happens.

He goes into a comedy routine. It is as predictable and cheesy as you can imagine. Then he started singing hit songs talking about the good old days. Man was it awkward. Everybody had fake-smile on their face, sort of like "what's this guy doing, should I just leave now or be polite?" The cast was SOOO uncomfortable, clapping along to Venus behind him. Have you heard Venus? Wow. Seriously, probably shouldn't have made the charts...but he continued for 15 minutes.

When it finally ended, he wouldn't leave the stage. No one knew really what to do, but as soon as the first person hit the aisle it was a mad dash to get away from I'm-holding-on-way-too-tight-to-the-past-Frankie Avalon.

(Editor's note: the following photographs are presented for comparison purposes only):

Lee Corso
Frankie Avalon